Ensilage harvester



y 1944- v I. D. MCEACHERN 2348,6254

ENSILAGE HARVEST ER v Filed May 18 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENT OR.

Irvin D. M l'hche'rn ATTORNEY.

.May 9, 1944.

I. D. M EACHERN ENSILAGE HARVESTER Filed May 18, 1940 e Sheets-Sheet s Irvin D. MEahern INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

May 9, 1944. D. M EACHERN ENSILAGE HARVESTER Filed May 18, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Irvin MEachern INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

:M y 9, 9 I. D. MO-EACHEARN 2,348,634

ENSILAGE HARvEsTER Filed May 18, 194Q' 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 6

IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

l. D. M EAcHERN ENSILAGE HARYESIER Filed May 18, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 J Irvin D. MEachern 1N VENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 9, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENSILAGE HARVESTER.

Irvin D. McEachern, Crosbyton, Tex. Application May 18', i940, Serial No. 336,052

Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in ensilage harvesters of the character designed for harvesting corn or other-ensilage material and chopping it into relatively short sections designed for conveyance into a silo. Harvesters of this type that have been used commercially heretofore, have been attached to a conventional farm tractor, but are not readily detachable therefrom nor pivoted for adjustment to operative and inoperative positions and have been very expensive due to their complexity of structure, both in their manufacture and in the use thereof.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of a harvester of this type to adapt it for mounting on a tractor for transportation therewith and operation thereby, and to render it simple in construction with low cost of manufacture and efliciency in operation at low cost also, and whereby the harvester is pivotally mounted on the tractor so that it may be moved to an inoperative position for transportation.

In carrying out this object, I have incorporated the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention shown applied to a tractor with parts broken away and in section;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof, also with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the rear portion of the tractor and harvester;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the rear portion of the harvester;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the driving belts for the conveyors;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation of the front portion of the tractor and harvester, with parts broken away and in section;

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view of the hydraulic lift system for the harvester;

Fig. 8 is a detailed top plan view of the harvester cutting mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view therethrough;

Fig. 10 is a detailed vertical sectional view of the drive wheel and its power shaft;

Fig. 11 is a similar view at right angles thereto partly in elevation; and

Fig. 12 is a partial rear elevation of the harvester and tractor with parts broken away and in section.

The invention is shown as applied to a conventional farm tractor having the usual power plant l and under frame 2, the latter being supported at its opposite ends on front and rear wheels 3 and 4. The front wheels 3 are swiveled for steering, while the rear wheels 4 are mounted on the usual axles and are driven from the power plant I to propel the tractor.

The harvester structure in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated is intended for two row operation. Therefore, a harvesting unit is mounted on each side of the tractor, which operate in unison and may discharge into a common hopper at the back of the tractor as illustrated.

Each harvesting unit is designated generally by the numeral 5, having a frame structured This frame structure 6 is pivotally connected at I (Fig. 4) to the rear portion of the tractor, as by clamps 8 surrounding the rear axle housing thereof, as shown in Fig. 12. The front end portion of the frame structure 6 is supported normally on a caster wheel 9 mounted in a yoke Ill, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, which yoke has a spindle H journaled in a bracket l2 secured to and extending laterally from a side of the frame structure 6. A collar I3 is secured to the upper end of the spindle H. A plurality of shims M are interposed between the yoke I0 and the bracket l2 which shims may be removed therefrom and replaced between the collar l3 and the tractor l2, if desired, in order to adjust the height of the wheel 9, relative to the harvester frame structure, so as to raise or lower the front end portion of the harvester to cut the grain at the desired height.

Each harvester unit is provided with a throat IS in the front end portion thereof to receive the grain as the harvester is moved along the row. In the outer side of the throat I5 is mounted an endless chain I6 extending upwardly at an angle from the front tip of the harvester, being guided on a track 11, and around sprocket wheels [8 and IS, the latter being mounted on a drive shaft 20. A second endless chain 21 extends parallel with the chain It and around a sprocket ,wheel 22 on the shaft?!) and a second sprocket wheel 23 mounted on the frame structure 6. The endless chains l5 and 2| are provided with fingers '24 thereon in position to engage the grain as the machine moves forward relative thereto and to direct it backward in the throat l5 toward the cutting mechanism hereinafter described.

The shaft 20 is driven by a sprocketchain 25 passing over a sprocket 26 on said shaft and over a sprocket 21 on a countershaft 28. The countershaft 28 is mounted in a step bearing 29 at one end thereof, while its opposite end is connected by a universal joint 39 with a drive shaft 3| journaled in the spindle II, as shown in Figs. and 11. The lower end of the drive shaft 3| is geared at 32 with a shaft 33 which is connected by a drive chain 34 with the axle of the wheel 9, whereby rotation of the wheel in contact with the ground during the forward motion of the machine will transmit movement through the chain 36, shaft 33, gear 32, drive shaft 3|, universal joint 39, counter-shaft 28, and sprocket chain 25 to rotate the shaft 20. This shaft in turn operates the sprocket chains l6 and 2|, as,

fingers 24 by a spring guide member 35. .(Fig. 2),. which holds the upper portions of the grain until.

severed and moved away from the cutting blades.

For cutting the grain, this form of the invention utilizes a stationary cutting blade 36 (Figs. 1, 8 and 9) which is formedin concave shape at its edge to receive the upstanding stalks, which blade 39 is fixed upon the lower portion of the frame 6. Operatively mounted beneaththe blade 36 is a rotary cutter or sickle 31 having a plurality of cutting edges coacting with the blade 39 to provide a shearing cut for the stalks. The blade 35 and the blades of the rotary cutter 3'! are removable for replacement and sharpening. The rotary cutter or sickle 31 is mounted on a shaft 38 extending upwardly in the harvester frame. The upper end portion of the shaft 33 carries a pulley 39 driven bya belt 49, which is in turn drivenfrom a power take-01f Al on the differential of the tractor, as shown in Fig. 4. This operates the rotary. cutter or sickle 31 continuously, and as the tractor moves forward the stalks are fed to thecutter by the chains is and 2! and are severed successively adjacent the ground.

The stalks are received from the chains. l9 and 2! by conveyor, chains 42, and 43 extending parallel therewith at respectively higher points on the harvester, as shown in Fig.. l. The chain 42 extends over sprockets 4.4 and 45 at its opposite ends, the sprocket 44 being fixed upon the shaft 29 and driven thereby. The chain. passes. over sprockets 49 and 41,.theformer being mounted on the shaft and driven thereby. The sprocket 46 is of smaller diameter than the sprocket 54, whereby the chain 42. has agreater linear speed than the chain 43.

As the machine moves forward andthe grain is gathered in by the conveyor chains 16 .and 2| and severedby the cutters 36, 31, the stalks continue to move back relative to the machine until the lower ends thereof engage a stop48 supported on theframefi immediately behind the stationary cutter 39, which tends to restrict backward movement of the lower end portions of the stalks, which, together with the greater linear speed ,of the ,conveyorchain .42, tends to turn the stalks down into oblique positions, where the stalks fall ontoan endless flight. conveyor 49 having its uppe run passing over guides 59 (Figs. 1, 8 and 9). The lower end of the flight conveyor 49 is supported by sprocket wheels. 51 immediately behind the stop ,8 from which. said conveyor extends upward to sprocket whecls52, as shown in Fig. 4. The stalks are carried .bythe conveyor 49 in reclining positions flat thereon. to the upper end of said fiight conveyor wheretheis pass under afeeding conveyor 53. The conveyor 53 extends about a frame 54 suspended from drive shaft 55 thereof in a normally inclined position over the flight conveyor 49 so as to compress the stalks as they reach the upper end of the flight conveyor and to direct them rearwardly therefrom to the point of cutting.

At the discharge end of the flight conveyor 49 is a platform 56 which directs the grain from said conveyor to a pair of feeding rolls 51 and 58 which direct the same over a ledger plate 59 to a rotary cutter 60 coacting therewith to chop the grain into short lengths suitable for storage in a silo. The feeding roll 58 is supported by a pair of links 6| at its opposite ends and is mounted in slots 62 in opposite side of the harvesterframe, so that it is free to move upward to accommodate for increased bulkiness in the grain. fed therebeneath, and yet to compress the sameand force it to the cutter 69.

A s shown in Fig. 3, a hopper 63 is arranged beneath the rotary cutter 69 of both harvester units, and tapers toward the center of the machine to direct the chopped feed thereto Aconveyor 64 operate througha trough 65 extending upw r l r m. th ower portion. o ppe 63to receive the chopped feed from thecutters 69 and to convey the same upward in the ,trough 65 to the upper end of a chute 66 into which it is dumped by the conveyor 64 for direction into a suitable conveyor, truck, ,trai1er, or,the. like. The trough 65,;is supported preferably by an adjustable cable 6] extending from the upper end thereof to a point on the harvester frame structure 6, as shown on Fig. 4. v

The several conveyorsjust describedare driven through connectionssuch as, are shown in Fig. .5. The power take off 4.1 .carriesa pulley, .6 8. over which passes a belt 69,;to,drive..a..shaft19,:on which shaft the cutter 6.0 mounted .anddriven. A belt H I connectstheshaft 10 with the shaft 55 which supports and-.drivesfeed conveyor .53. A belt 12; extends fromthe shaft 55 to ashaft 13 supporting thesprocketsfllof the flight conveyor 49 from which thelatter is driv.en....The shaft 55 alsodrives a.,belt..1 4. whichis connected with and drives the feeding roll .58, andthe. belt 49 that. leads. to the ;pulley. on the sickleshaft 38 is also .drivenfromthe shaft,55. The con.- veyor 64 is driven by the belt 15 fromthe shaft While the weight of the front .end.portion o.f each. harvester. unit is supported primarily. on the caster wheel 9, provision is inadefonrelie'ving this wheel. of some .of the. weight asi-welli as for raising the front. end..portion .ofpthe harvester to an inoperativeposition.when. desired, by a power unit, connectedswith.. thefi'ontiend portion of the tractor. This power unit is shown primarily in Figsfi and'lot theldrawings.

The front endportion of each harvester frame structure fiis supported onanarm It, .theilower end of which arm. is.c.onnected with. a'linkil'lfl having an off-set ,lower- .end.receivingjafboltjlfl, which bolt is secured;,to-the..framejstructure. 6 by a set screw l9. A spring.89 is interposedbetween the connected portions of the link'v I1 and bolt l's to support the latter resiliently fromthe link and arm 16.; g

The arm 16.;is carriedat, itsupperfl endby a piston rod connected with a piston 8| operatively. .mquntsd a cy inder; 8.2 -wh o e form a power device for raising and lowering the front end portion of each harvester unit as liquid flu dis iqrces in gpr char ed fmmt .sy i i le z T e. arms..." are 15 in. o er para1- lel relation by guides 83 attaohed tosaid arms and which embrace the outer portions of the cylinders 82. V

As shown in Fig. '7, the cylinders 82 are supplied by liquid under pressure through pipes 84 joined with a supply pipe 85 connected with a with a belt 92 which operates the fan of the engine from the drive shaft thereof.

When it is desired to arrange the front end portion of either or both of the harvester-units either to inoperative positions or to accommodate the cutting to various heights, the valves Bl are opened after which the lever 90 is manipulated so as to swing the pulley 9i into driving engagement with the belt 92 for operating the pump 86. This will force the oil or other liquid used from the reservoir 88 through the pipes 84 and 85 into the lower ends of the respective cylinders 82, forcing the pistons 81 upward therein and raising the front end portions of the harvester units through arcs up to 45 in inoperative position. After these have been raised to the desired extent, the valves 81 are closed, the pump 86 moved back to an inoperative position, and the fluid thus pumped into the cylinders 82 will hold the front end portions in these set positions.

A combination check and manual control valve 93 is connected in a return pipe 94 to bypass the fluid from the pump 86 back to the reservoir 88, after the closing of the valve 81.

The cylinders 82 are provided with a connected by-pass pipe 95 at the upper end portions thereof, which by-pass pipe has a connection 96 leading to the reservoir 83. Thus, when the pistons 8| move upward in the cylinders 82 beyond the points of connection of the by-pass pipe 95, the fluid is returned through said bypass pipe to the reservoir without raising the pistons further in the cylinders to avoid risk to the operator if he should fail to close the valves 81 at the proper time. Thus upward movement of the pistons will be arrested at the proper and desired positions in the cylinders at the points of connection therewith of the by-pass pipe 95. Since the pump 86 is driven directly from the engine belt, this raising and lowering mechanism may be operated without starting the entire harvesting mechanism.

It will be evident that either or both of the harvester units may be used at one time as desired, it being necessary merely to disconnect the driving of the parts of one harvester unit at the power take-off ll while retaining the drive for the other and allow it to be used.

The operation of the harvester will be apparent from the foregoing description. As it is moved forward, the stalks of grain are gathered in by the gathering chains l6 and 2| which move them back relative to the harvester and substantially at the same speed that the machine moves forward until the lower ends of the stalks are severed at the desired height above the ground by the rotary sickle 31 operating in conjunction with the stationary blade 36.

The sickle 31 is operated at high speed to facilitate severing of the stalks without appreciable vibration. Thereafter the stalks are directed back into reclining positions on flight conveyor 49, which directs them upward, tops first, beneath the feeding conveyor 53, and between feeding rolls 51 and 58 to rotary cutter Bil which chops the grain into,relatively small pieces. The chopped grain falls fromthe cutters 60 into the hopper 63 from which it is conveyed upward through the trough by the conveyor 64 to the point of discharge at the upper end of the chute 66.

I claim: I

1. A harvester comprising a frame structure, means carried by the frame structure'forsevering stalks from the field, endless conveying means on the frame structure for moving the stalks relatively lengthwise of the frame structure, a drive shaft for said conveying means, a ground engaging wheel, a bracket connected with the frame structure, a yoke connected with the wheeland having a spindle journaled in the bracket, a shaft telescoped with the spindle and having geared connection with the wheel for operation there-by, and a jack shaft connected with thelast-mentioned shaft and having geared connection-with the drive shaft for operating the same from the wheel. a

2. In a harvester, the combination of an elongated frame structure, means on said frame structure forming a throat extending lengthwise of the frame structure to receive therein upstanding stalks in the field at the forward end thereof, an endless conveyor mounted on the frame structure and extending lengthwise of the throat, said conveyor having upper and lower runs within the throat, said upper run forming a supporting surface to receive thereon the harvested stalks and to convey the same lengthwise of the throat, a primary cutter mounted on the frame structure at the forward end of the endless conveyor to sever the stalks in the field, vertically spaced gathering chains in a side of said throat for supporting the stalks and moving said stalks onto the upper run of the conveyor after severing thereof by the cutter, said upper and lower gathering chains extending from a point in front of the cutter to a point spaced rearwardly of the forward end of the conveyor, and means for operating said chains at different speeds for causing the stalks to fall to prone positions on the upper run of the conveyor.

3. In a harvester, the combination of an elongated frame structure, means on said frame structure forming a throat extending lengthwise of the frame structure to receive therein upstanding stalks in the field at the forward end thereof, an endless conveyor mounted on the frame structure and extending lengthwise of the throat, said conveyor having upper and lower runs extending substantially from side to side of the throat with said upper run arranged to form a transverse supporting surface within the throat for the harvested stalks, a primary cutter mounted on the frame structure at the forward end of the conveyor, vertically spaced gathering chains in a side of said throat for supporting the stalks and moving said stalks onto the upper run of the conveyor, said upper and lower gathering chains extending from a point in front of the cutter to a point appreciably rearward of the forward end of the conveyor, a secondary cutter at the opposite end of said endless conveyor for cutting the stalks into ensilage, and means for operating the upper gathering chain at greater speed than the lower gathering chain for causing the stalks to be moved to prone positions on the conveyor after-severing thereof by theprimary cutter for presentation to the secondary cutter.

4. In a harvester; the combination with a "wheeled tractor; of an ensilage-harvesting attachment comprising an elongated frame-structure extending in s'ide-by-side relation with the tractor; means-mounting the forward and -rearward end portions of the harvesting attachment on the tractor, means on said frame structure forming a throat extending lengthwisesithereof to -appreciably forwardly. of the cutter continuously to apoint appreciably rearwardly of-the cutter .forsupporting andmoving the stalks onto-the upper run of the conveyor after severing thereof; 2 @byv-the cutter, and=means for operating said "chains .at *difierent speeds .forcausing the stalks tofall to prone positions-on the upper run of vthe conveyor.

5. In. aharvester; the combinationwith a 30 wheeled-tractorincluding a-rear axle housing, of =-zan lensilage harvesting attachment comprising an --elongated'f-rame-structure extending in side-byside relation with the tractor, meanspivotally mounting the rearward end portion of-said'attachment on the rear axle housing, means mount- 1 ing the front end portion of the attachment on the tractor f or vertical adjustment relative theretoon saidpivotal mounting, means on-said frame structure forming a threat extending lengthwise thereof to receive-inthe forward end thereofupstandingstalks in the'field, an endi less conveyor extending lengthwise of saidthroat and having upper and lower runs, said-upper run forming a supporting :surfaceto receive thereon the harvested I stalks and to convey :the

same lengthwise ofthe throat, a primary cutter': mounted on the frame structure fadjacent --the forward end of the conveyor to sever-lithe stalks in'the field; vertically spaced upperxand lower gathering chainsin aside of saidthroat extending from a point appreciably forwardly of theicutter continuously to a pointl'appreciably :rearwardly ofthe cutter for supporting andmovinglthe stalks onto the upper :run oftthetcon- VeyorlI-after severing thereof? by the'cutter,-v:and

means for operating said chains atdifierent 1 speeds for causing the stalks to ;fal1.to:iprone positions on the upper run oftbeconveyonsaid endless conveyornextending. in an inclined. di-

rection over thelrear .axle' housing, and a secondary .cutteriat the rear; end :of said endless conveyor for chopping'said stalks vinto ensilage.

IIRVIN D. MCEACHERN. 

